FF Automation Insight: Top 5 Quick Wins in Finance Automation

Top 5 Quick Wins in Finance Automation

Finance automation can feel like a large transformation program. In practice, the best results often come from starting with a few well-chosen quick wins that are repetitive, measurable, and low-risk.

Below are five finance automation quick wins I regularly see teams succeed with—plus a simple way to pick the right starting point for your environment.

Why quick wins matter

Quick wins are not about doing “small” work. They’re about building momentum and proving value early.

A good quick win typically delivers:

• Clear time savings you can measure in hours per month
• Fewer manual errors and less rework
• Better traceability (who did what, when, and why)
• A foundation you can scale into more advanced automation later

Quick win #1: Bank reconciliation exception handling

Many teams still spend significant time matching bank transactions manually and chasing discrepancies.

What to automate:

• Import bank statements automatically
• Match transactions using rules (amount, date, reference)
• Flag exceptions for human review
• Produce a reconciliation log for audit trail

How to measure value:

• Hours spent per close cycle
• Number of exceptions and time to resolve
• Reduction in manual matching steps

Quick win #2: Accounts payable (AP) invoice capture and validation

Invoice handling is often a perfect automation candidate: high volume, rules-based, and repetitive.

What to automate:

• Capture invoice data (PDF, email, portal)
• Validate against PO and vendor master data
• Route approvals based on thresholds
• Create a clean exception queue (missing PO, price variance, duplicates)

How to measure value:

• Touches per invoice (before vs after)
• Cycle time from receipt to posting
• Reduction in duplicates and manual corrections

Quick win #3: Recurring journal entries and allocations

Recurring postings and allocations are predictable—but still consume time and invite avoidable errors.

What to automate:

• Standardize templates for recurring entries
• Schedule postings with controls and approvals
• Generate supporting documentation automatically
• Log deviations from expected values

How to measure value:

• Time spent preparing and checking entries
• Number of posting errors or reclassifications
• Audit effort and documentation availability

Quick win #4: Intercompany matching and reconciliation

Intercompany is a classic pain point: many entities, many transactions, and frequent mismatches.

What to automate:

• Match intercompany transactions using agreed rules
• Generate exception reports (missing counterpart, timing differences)
• Produce a clear reconciliation pack per period
• Track recurring root causes of mismatches

How to measure value:

• Days spent on intercompany per month
• Reduction in manual follow-ups
• Faster close and fewer late adjustments

Quick win #5: Management reporting refresh

A surprising amount of management reporting is still manual: export, copy, paste, refresh, repeat.

What to automate:

• Standardize data extraction and refresh schedules
• Validate data completeness before publishing
• Update dashboards and reporting packs automatically
• Store outputs with versioning and timestamps

How to measure value:

• Hours per reporting cycle
• Number of post-publication corrections
• Stakeholder satisfaction and delivery predictability

How to choose your first quick win

If you’re deciding where to start, use a lightweight scoring model:

Impact (1–5):

• Time saved
• Error risk reduction
• Business criticality
• Frequency

Feasibility (1–5):

• Process stability
• Data quality and structure
• Integration complexity
• Control and compliance requirements

Pick the candidate with the strongest combination of high impact and high feasibility.
That’s usually the fastest path to a credible result.

Next step

If you want to turn these insights into concrete results, you can contact us for hands-on guidance on prioritizing, designing, and implementing finance process automation.

We also offer process automation resources — practical guides, checklists, templates, and calculators you can use immediately.